For decades, Sue Horlin watched her PwC consulting colleagues bring in the prestige clients, high-profile assignments and the big fees. But this year’s catastrophic tax leaks scandal has reset the table at the big four accounting giant and now audit and assurance – long the humbler, more straight-forward and less risky arm of the firm – is expected to be the growth engine and the governance model for the future.

“It has been a really challenging year. And I felt that both emotionally and professionally… and [so have] all of our people,” she tells The Australian Financial Review.